on dropping balls and feeling verklempt
I never said I could juggle. I'm far too clumsy and in all honesty, when balls are in the air, I tend to cover my face, afraid that I'm about to get hit.
So I dropped a ball. Two, really, but they're related.
Senior portraits are taken in August. You know, way before a parent (like me) has accepted the fact that their child is actually going to be finished with high school and graduate. So there was no rush to order the portraits. Plenty of time. Something also came home at the start of the school year about graduation announcements.
Same ball, different color.
So, yeah. I dropped them. Luckily there are plenty of other fly-by-the-seat-of their-pants parents like me out there and the companies are used to it. For an extra ten bucks they will get them to you without stopping for coffee and a bathroom break. The announcements were ordered yesterday (and should be here in 10 days) and the photo order was dropped off this afternoon. I wasn't the only mom there. Just sayin.' I can pick them up next Wednesday.
The prom ticket and cap and gown have been purchased. I'm not altogether unhappy that he had no interest in a school ring. This senior thing is pretty spendy.
Jake spent this morning taking his AP Literature exam. Tonight is his final high school concert. I have cried with joy at previous concerts at the incredible talent these kids have. But I always knew there would be another concert coming up. I predict that tonight I will be a mess. Tomorrow will be his AP Art exam and Monday morning is devoted to AP Music Theory. He'll be finished with all of his classes pretty soon.
People, my baby is graduating. Jake, who was too small for me to trust putting him in the cradle beside me, so he slept on me or next to me in the bed. Jake, who did great with kindergarten but had to be cajoled, bribed and, I'm ashamed to say, occasionally threatened to walk into his first grade classroom for about two weeks. My Jakie. He's graduating in less than a month. A chapter closes, another begins.
I'm not ready.
I'm not.
So I dropped a ball. Two, really, but they're related.
Senior portraits are taken in August. You know, way before a parent (like me) has accepted the fact that their child is actually going to be finished with high school and graduate. So there was no rush to order the portraits. Plenty of time. Something also came home at the start of the school year about graduation announcements.
Same ball, different color.
So, yeah. I dropped them. Luckily there are plenty of other fly-by-the-seat-of their-pants parents like me out there and the companies are used to it. For an extra ten bucks they will get them to you without stopping for coffee and a bathroom break. The announcements were ordered yesterday (and should be here in 10 days) and the photo order was dropped off this afternoon. I wasn't the only mom there. Just sayin.' I can pick them up next Wednesday.
The prom ticket and cap and gown have been purchased. I'm not altogether unhappy that he had no interest in a school ring. This senior thing is pretty spendy.
Jake spent this morning taking his AP Literature exam. Tonight is his final high school concert. I have cried with joy at previous concerts at the incredible talent these kids have. But I always knew there would be another concert coming up. I predict that tonight I will be a mess. Tomorrow will be his AP Art exam and Monday morning is devoted to AP Music Theory. He'll be finished with all of his classes pretty soon.
People, my baby is graduating. Jake, who was too small for me to trust putting him in the cradle beside me, so he slept on me or next to me in the bed. Jake, who did great with kindergarten but had to be cajoled, bribed and, I'm ashamed to say, occasionally threatened to walk into his first grade classroom for about two weeks. My Jakie. He's graduating in less than a month. A chapter closes, another begins.
I'm not ready.
I'm not.
Labels: Jake
posted by Gretchen at 2:51 PM
7 Comments:
I have a feeling that even the Ringling Brothers jugglers have an oopsie now and then. Glad that you were able to get it straightened out.
Allow me to cry along with you, please. I can't even imagine all of the emotions involved with watching your kid graduate. Heck, I'm not even ready to let J go to preschool, and even get a little choked up when I drop him off at the grandparents for a day.
But you've raised a good egg, Gretchen, and if he's absorbed even half of your morals, kindness, and beauty (and he has!) then he's going to do just fine.
And wow at all those AP courses! I took AP lit, passed the class, failed the exam, and got physically pulled from the list for the next year. At the time I blamed it on the teacher hating me, but looking back, she had a right to. I was a total pain. :)
Go Jake! Go!
say it isn't so! How do you sleep at night knowing such a big thing is inevitably just days, really, away?!?! I'm so not ready for this. In fact, wasn't I just doing this myself? Getting senior pictures, graduation, etc? It could not possibly be another child's entire lifetime already, could it?
Well, how do you think we GRANDPARENTS feel?!? Our first grandchild graduating! We remember when YOU walked across that stage! Yikes. We'll be SO proud, and your tears won't be the only ones. Great photo too.
I have no human kids...but your post gave me tears. Time sure does fly. That's a handsome son you've got there. He'll do well, and so will you, Mom. In time.
My son took the AP Lit test yesterday, too. He graduates a week from today. I, too, am stunned.
Knit on.
Incredible how fast it happens. *sigh*
I just hate it when they think they can go and grow up...
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